discard

verb dis·card \ dis-ˈkärd , ˈdis-ˌ \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of discard

transitive verb

1 : to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted

a pile of discarded tires

They quickly discarded the idea.

2 a : to remove (a playing card) from one's hand (see ¹hand 9a(2))

discarded an ace

b : to play (any card except a trump) from a suit different from the one led

intransitive verb

: to discard a playing card

discard at the end of your turn

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discardable

play \-də-bəl\ adjective

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discarder

noun

See discard defined for English-language learners

See discard defined for kids

Examples of discard in a Sentence

Remove and discard the stems.
a pile of discarded tires
She discarded the six of hearts.

Recent Examples of discard from the Web

Keyboards in particular have suffered from this shrinkage, with the page-navigation block often being discarded entirely as manufacturers drop to six-row and sometimes even five-row keyboards.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "The 25th-anniversary ThinkPad: Every laptop should add some retro appeal," 1 Apr. 2018
Snacks are enjoyable until they are consumed and then their remains are discarded.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "From Huntsville to LA, Laci Jordan bringing black culture to graphic design," 30 Mar. 2018
This mental image, for whatever reason, prompts Markle to make a disgusted face and discard the bag of chips in favor of Tostitos.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "You Absolutely Remember This Meghan Markle Tostitos Commercial From 2009," 30 Mar. 2018
The husks can be easily removed with your hands and discarded.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "What Are Tomatillos, Anyway?," 26 Mar. 2018
Remove and discard the orange rind, and the rosemary and thyme sprigs.

— jill gibson, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipe: A rich beef stew from Provence is simmered with red wine, olives, and orange," 12 Mar. 2018
Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "From avocados to kale: How one man forever changed the way we eat | The Sacramento Bee," 6 Mar. 2018
When all the mussels are open, remove the pan from the heat, discard the herb sprigs, and serve with some crusty bread.

— natalie b. compton, GQ, "Mussels Are the Easiest Fancy Food You Can Make Yourself Tonight," 28 Feb. 2018
Remove and discard the stem, tear open and remove the seeds.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Chili is Michigan's most-searched Super Bowl party fare," 2 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of discard

circa 1586

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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discard Synonyms

Phrases

dispose of, set aside;

Synonym Discussion of discard

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of. discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.